Indoor baseball



July 21, 1925. 1,546,483

A, E. FEGAN INDOOR BASEBALL Filed July 10, 1924 Patented July 21, 1925.

UNITED STATES .ALBERT E. FEGAN,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO GEO. YOU'NG CO'., OF CHI- CAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

INDOOR BASEBALL.

Application filed July 10, 1924. Serial No. 725,112.

To all 'whom it may Gly/wem.'

Be it known that I, ALBERT E. FEGAN, a citizen of the United States, residin at Chicaoo, in the county of Cook and tate of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Indoor Baseballs, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the reference characters marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. i

This invention relates to indoor baseballs.

The most approved and useful indoor baseballs heretofore made have been constructed with an inner section of goat hair compacted into spherical form and held by a winding of cotton yarn; a surrounding coating or layer of horse hair held in shape also by a winding of cotton yarn, and an outer cover of leather cut in two parts, suitably stitched together along their abutting margins.

In balls of this character, which range from twelve to seventeen inches in circumference, the circumference of the inner section or core of say a fourteen inch ball is substantially eleven and a half inches. The circumference of the layer surrounding such core, without the leatherl cover, is about thirteen and a half or three-quarters inches. A finished ball of this size will weigh eight to nine ounces. In practical use, it is found that this ball is too heavy, and does not have the desired resiliency.

The object of the present invention is to substantially reduce the weight of an indoor baseball without reducing its size or detracting from its utility, and without deflecting its direction of flight; and which will at the same time have a livelier action; such a reduction in weight being at least two ounces in a fourteen inch ball above described, and a proportionate similar reduction in balls of other sizes, and at the same time produce a more durable ball.

The objects and advantages of my invention will be manifest as I proceed with the description of my invention, which consists in the parts and combination of parts herein illustrated, described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is an outside view of an indoor baseball embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a central, vertical, sectional View of the same.

Fig. 3 is a view of the ball with the outer cover and the different layers partially turned back so as to more fully indicate the construction.

In said drawing, A represents the ball as a whole; B the outer cover; C the core; and D the layer intermediate the cover and the core, the parts being substantially of a size to form a fourteen inch ball.

The material of which the core is composed and the construction of the core are of the essence of my invention. Said core C is composed of a resilient substance in ranular form, suitably united by a proper inder which will not detract, per se, from or interfere with its resiliency. I prefer to use cork in granulated form or small pieces, as indicated at l, as the material for the core, but an other material having the same or equiva ent resilient action as core may be used. These small pieces of cork are mixed with a suitable binding element, indicated at 2. The mass is then pressed into spherical shape or form in a mould or other appropriate machine, substantially eleven and one half inches in circumference and usually held therein until the binder has dried sufficiently to hold the cork held in spherical form.

I prefer, however, in order to facilitate manufacture, to wrap the core, when molded, with a few turns of cotton yarn 3 immediately it is formed,that is, with a sufficient wrapping of the yarn to prevent the core C from losing its spherical shape after leaving the mold and while the binder is setting and drying.

I then enclose the core in a layer of horse hair D, of a thickness required to make the predetermined circumference for a given sized ball, and secure the layer D in place by a few wrappings of cotton yarn 4c. Finally the leather sections 5 and 6 are placed about the structure and their marginal abutting edges secured together in a familiar manner by stitches 7 to form the outer cover B.

The binding material 2 which I prefer to use is aliquid cement of rubber, the liquid element of which is gasoline or other volatile liquid which will readily evaporate upon exposure to the atmosphere, leaving the rubber in intimate contact with the particles of cork and pro erly binding them together Without lessening the resilient action of the cork, but in fact contributing to the resilient action of the core C as a Whole.

I prefer to use cotton yarn as the Winding element both about the core C and the horse hair layer D, but floss or other material may `ot course be used.

s the result of practical tests in use eX- tending over a period of months, I find that an indoor baseball of the fourteen inch size herein above referred to, and made in accordance with my invention, issubstantially two ounces lighter in Weight than a ball of the same size having a core of goat hair or other material; that it seems even much lighter to the user; that it is sufficiently A heavy to be driven in a desired direction and to the desired distance when struck by a bat; that it is a much liveliei ball; that it has quicker flight; that it is durable and possesses a longer life than indoor baseballs heretofore made. These are practical and 8l desirable qualities in an indoor baseball and quite opposite to the qualities required for other types of ball, such as a cricket ball, tennis ball, outdoor baseball or hand ball.

I claim as my invention:

1. An indoor baseball provided with a spherical core, an outer cover and an intermediate layer ot' horse hair, the Core being composed of small particles of cork and a rubber binding and of a relatively large circumference.

2. An indoor base ball having an outer cover, a spherical core and an intermediate layer of horse hair, the core being composed of small particles of cork, a thin rubber binder, and being of relatively large size, to-witz eleven and one-half inches in circumference for a fourteen inch ball.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I aIiX my signature, in the presence of two Witnesses, this 3rd day of July, 1924:. Y

ALBERT E. FEGAN. Witnesses:

TAYLOR E. BROWN, B. L. MAoGrIuaaoas 3&1 

